Computer technology, related to both hardware and software, has revolutionized the way business is conducted. At one time, the scarcity of information was a major hurdle for various businesses to overcome. As a result of advancements in computers and information technology, businesses are frequently faced with information overload, since virtually every piece of information related to an enterprise is capable of being stored digitally, and thus being widely accessible, In health related fields, a patient's prescription drug history, insurance information, office visit results and x-rays can be stored in computer memory. A particular stock may be researched, ordered, and the transaction charged to an account, every step being accomplished via computer. Information overload is further exacerbated by the need to rapidly consolidate and assess information. This speed may be necessary in order to compete effectively, to exploit specific market conditions, or to correctly treat a patient in a medical emergency. Further, while much of the information can be stored in a common database, the user interface tends to be designed with a focus on the discipline that is primarily responsible for the information. The resultant interface is confusing to all but those familiar with the particular discipline. Information overload can thus be described as a problem of too much information and less time to rely on interface with another human being confounded by a foreign computer interface.
A specific example of this can be found in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. Prior to ERP software, a business would generally use different software applications to automate different functional departments of a business. For example, accounting, order entry, manufacturing, inventory and shipping departments would each use their own software systems. While these individual departments can achieve improved operational efficiency through software, the business as a whole would not realize the potential afforded by information technology because the individual software applications may not smoothly interface with each other, and there could be significant duplication of data across the individual systems.
With ERP software, all of the different functional applications for a business share a common database, so all data is entered only once. Moreover, there is a seamless integration of data between disparate applications, so data generated by one application can be immediately used by any other application. Due to the use of a comprehensive database, ERP systems permit enhanced analysis of a business' data.
However, because ERP systems provide such comprehensive access to a business' data, they suffer from having an end user interface that is difficult to learn. Generally, an ERP system is used by nearly every person in every operational department, even though each user only accesses a small portion of the data in the entire ERP system. This tends to make ERP user interfaces inherently complicated, particularly for end users that need to access information outside of the end user's normal area of expertise. For example, while a sales person may become proficient in accessing quotation or sales order information in an ERP system, if customer asks the sales person a question about the shipment or invoice for a particular order, the ERP user interface will usually make it difficult for the sales person find the information, because the user interface for shippers and invoices is likely to be unfamiliar to the sales person.